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Homebrew self-driving tech gets millions in backing
George "Geohot" Hotz's attempt to put cheap, self-driving tech into any existing car raised eyebrows (and Tesla's ire) when it was revealed late last year. Now, one of Silicon Valley's most prominent venture capital funds is throwing its wallet behind Hotz's grand idea. Andreessen Horowitz has written a check for $3.1 million to help Hotz hire engineers and turn his jury-rigged system into a working product. He's joining some illustrious company, since the fund has previously handed cash to outfits like Oculus VR, Zynga, Instagram, Groupon, Jawbone and something called Twitter.
Facebook roasts board member's attack on 'anti-colonialism'
Venture capitalist (and Facebook board member) Marc Andreessen is known for being outspoken on tech issues, but he's learning the hard way that he went one step too far. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg has chastised Andreessen for claiming that India's valuation of net neutrality (such as the rejection of Facebook's Free Basics service) was part of an "anti-colonialism" mindset that had hindered the country "for decades" after it declared independence in 1947. Yes, the implication was that the country should harken back to the days of British colonial rule and accept outside influence. Not surprisingly, Zuck finds this idea "deeply unsettling" -- whatever Facebook wants, it has to respect India's culture, history and values.
